The first glimpse of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana 1 titled ‘Ramayana: The Introduction’ got revealed on YouTube on 3rd July 2025. It just 3 hours, it received over 18 lakh views and 14K+ comments. It has certainly created a buzz in the Indian Film Industry.
It is not just a another big budget movie. It is promising India’s epic story with Hollywood level production in a way we haven’t seen before. It has the potential to completely shift how the world sees films from India.
Ramayana: A cultural bet from Namit
It’s fascinating to consider the challenge of again reinventing the wheel. We are seeing Ramayana from ages. Best from Ramanand Sagar (1987) and the worst from Om Raut (2023), titled as ‘Adipurush’. ‘Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama’ by Koichi Sasaki and Ram Mohan (1993) is on a different league altogether. In between, many more adaption came and became dusted.
The hard part is to take a 5,000 year old story, one that’s sacred to billions and update it without losing its soul. Specially, after the box office bomb of Adipurush, it’s a huge risk. That’s why Namit Malhotra’s approach and treatment of the movie will be a key factor here. He understands that audiences worldwide are increasingly looking for genuine cultural narratives, told with top-notch technical skill.
Casting Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Ravana isn’t just about star power, it’s smart strategy. Kapoor connects with audiences across India with his nuanced acting, while Yash’s presence leverages the massive success of the KGF films, ensuring the movie resonates beyond language barriers. This isn’t just casting, it’s a bridge between cultures. The overall production budget of part 1 of Ramayana is over 800 Crore, the highest till date for Indian movies.
Star cast of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana 1 Film
The impressive star cast is as follows.
- Ranbir Kapoor – Lord Rama, Parashurama (dual roles)
- Yash – Ravana
- Sai Pallavi – Sita
- Ravi Dubey – Lakshman
- Sunny Deol – Hanuman
- Amitabh Bachchan – Jatayu (as voice artist)
- Kunal Kapoor – Lord Indra
- Arun Govil – Dasharath
- Lara Dutta – Kaikeyi
- Shishir Sharma – Vasishtha
- Ajinkya Deo – Vishvamitra
- Kajal Aggarwal – Mandodari
- Indira Krishnan – Kausalya
- Adinath Kothare – Bharat
- Sheeba Chaddha – Manthara
- Rakul Preet Singh – Shurpanakha
- Vivek Oberoi – Vidyutjihva
- Sonia Balani – Urmila
Ramayana 1 trailer
Get ready for a grand vision for our timeless saga.
This is not just another teaser, it’s a bold statement. Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Written by Shridhar Raghava, is shaping up to be a truly grand cinematic experience. From the moment the video dropped, it was clear that the makers are aiming a visually spectacular retelling of the revered Hindu epic.
One of the biggest talking points is, without a doubt, the visual effects. Handled by DNEG, a studio with 8 Academy Awards, the VFX look very clean and polished. The opening animation depicting the Hindu Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is especially impressive.
- Brahma: The god who creates
- Vishnu: The god who protects
- Shiva: The god who destroys
The story leads to the ultimate war, which is described as the immortal story of Rama versus Ravana.
Every shot, even quick glimpses of the characters, shows incredible attention to detail. Plus, knowing it was shot for IMAX just builds the anticipation for a massive big screen experience.
And then there’s the music! The collaboration between two absolute legends, Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, has everyone buzzing. This is a rare and exciting pairing, and their background score in the video is already being called “goosebumps worthy”. Many are even saying the music is the true star of the Ramayana 1 trailer.
The film is presented by Prime Focus Studios in association with Monster Mind Creations and DNEG.
What’s really interesting is how much this film is being compared to Adipurush, another recent attempt to it. A lot of the positive reaction for “Ramayana” comes from the feeling that this team is getting it right where others went wrong. Publications and fans are openly saying this it is better than Adipurush. The netizens are praising its visual quality and respectful approach to the source material. This focus on cultural authenticity and sticking to the essence of the epic seems to be a huge relief for many.
It is a two part movie. Part I is set for Diwali 2026, with part II following in Diwali 2027. This suggests a really expansive and detailed storytelling approach, promising a unhurried narrative.